Aircraft News November 2005.

Aircraft cabins won't make travelers ill, carriers say: It is unclear whether air travel contributes to the spread of respiratory illnesses, doctors say. Some doctors say sitting next to a sick person can cause a traveler to become ill, but airlines point out that aircraft cabins are not more dangerous than other crowded spaces. "There is nothing about aircraft cabin environment that makes it any easier to catch an illness from other people." said Katherine Andrus, the Air Transport Association's assistant general counsel. Nov 23, 2005

Retrofits aimed at reducing chances of fuel-tank explosion, FAA says. New Federal Aviation Administration proposals would require airlines to install devices on their jetliners that would lower the risk of fuel-tank explosions. The requirements would cost airlines $315 million over seven years. Major carriers were consulted about the changes and expected the new requirements, according to the Air Transport Association. Nov 15, 2005

Business jet deliveries to hit record in 2006, report says. Global demand for business jets will increase in 2006 and 2007 and then stay steady for several years, according to a forecast by manufacturer Honeywell. Strong demand shows the market is recovering from the September 2001 terrorist attacks. The introduction of new models and the strong economy is also boosting demand. The report tracks planes with a takeoff weight of less than 50 tons. Nov 8, 2005

Los Angeles struggles to prepare for superjumbo jet. Dozens of airports are widening their taxiways, improving baggage systems, and building high-capacity gates to accommodate the Airbus A380 superjumbo jet. The plane will be capable of transporting 850 people. Preparing for the giant plane is becoming a challenge for cramped Los Angeles International Airport, which will become the busiest U.S. gateway for the plane. The airport is facing political and logistical roadblocks. Nov 29, 2005

Some Airbus customers to receive compensation for A380 delays. Jetmaker Airbus will compensate some of its customers for late deliveries of the A380 superjumbo jet. Complications with the plane's interior design forced Airbus to postpone deliveries. EADS Co-Chief Executive Officer Noel Forgeard said the delays won't affect potential orders with the affected customers. EADS is the parent of Airbus. Nov 9, 2005

Airbus sends superjumbo jet on Asian marketing tour. Airbus will send its A380 superjumbo jet on its maiden test flight out of Europe this week. The plane will fly to Asia, where Airbus hopes to secure more orders for the plane. Technical problems have delayed the journey to Singapore, Malaysia and Australia by three days. Seven airlines in the region have already ordered the plane. Nov 7, 2005

Boeing, Airbus work on air traffic modernization effort. Boeing and Airbus have set six goals to help improve and modernize the air traffic control system. They have formed teams to work on navigation performance, air-to-ground communications, ground-based landing systems, airborne separation assistance programs, risk assessment for air traffic control systems, and the exchange of 4D trajectories. They are using a common approach so planes built by Boeing and Airbus can use the same avionics worldwide. Nov 30, 2005

Airbus claims lead over Boeing at Dubai Air Show. As of Tuesday, European jetmaker Airbus had booked more orders than its rival Boeing at the Dubai Air Show. The show runs through Wednesday. Airbus said it has booked firm orders for 82 jetliners. Boeing has so far booked 68 orders at the show. However, Boeing also received an order for 70 jetliners from China this week. "That's 138 firm orders," said Charlie Miller, Boeing communications director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Aircraft leasing firm International Lease Finance placed orders with both companies. Nov 23, 2005

US Airways firms up order with Airbus. European jetmaker Airbus said US Airways has placed binding orders for 20 A350 jetliners. The commitment was first announced in May. Separately, China will order A320 jets when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits France this weekend, an airline executive said. Nov 30, 2005

The Boeing 787 will feature quiet cabin. Boeing said results from a series of test show that the cabin of the 787, which will enter service in 2008, will be quieter than other jetliners. "The results were what we were looking for. We found some improvements for the 787 that will make the design even better," said Belur Shivashankara, a senior technical fellow with Boeing and program manager for Phase 2 the Quiet Technology Demonstrator. Nov 30, 2005

Boeing wants binding arbitration as part of subsidy settlement. Boeing wants any settlement in its dispute over aircraft subsidies to specify binding arbitration for future disputes. Boeing and European jetmaker Airbus are at odds over public aid for the development of jetliners, and the U.S. and EU have filed lawsuits over the matter. "There should be a disputes settlement mechanism, self-contained within a negotiated settlement... perhaps even of binding character" to resolve such future spats, said Tom Pickering, Boeing's vice president for international relations. Nov 21, 2005

Boeing says more travelers can squeeze in new 787. Boeing said airlines will be able to fit more passengers in its 787 than originally expected. The use of composite materials allows for slightly more cabin space. So far, Boeing has booked 233 firm orders for the jetliner. Its 787-3 will carry between 290 and 330 people, up from 296 in a two-class configuration. Nov 18, 2005

New Boeing 747 will create competition for A380, Airbus official says. Boeing's plan for a larger 747 jumbo jet will create more competition for the Airbus superjumbo A380, an Airbus official acknowledged. "It will increase the competition with the A380 freighter, but at least we are glad that Boeing recognizes there is a market for aircraft [bigger than] the 747," said Charle Champion, head of the A380 program. Champion said Airbus is discussing potential A380 sales with several Asian carriers. Nov 18, 2005

Boeing to launch new 747 program. In a move aimed at competing with the new Airbus superjumbo jet, Boeing said it will launch a new version of its 747. Boeing has received eight orders for the cargo version of the 747 Advanced, now renamed the 747-8, from Nippon Cargo Airlines of Japan. The 747-8 will be a bigger, more efficient version of its older jetliner. Another cargo airline also has placed an order for the new jet, Boeing said. Nov 15, 2005

Boeing, airlines think travelers will pay for extra-long flights. Boeing's 777-200LR set a new distance record last week for a jetliner its size on a flight that lasted nearly 23 hours. Boeing believes many travelers will pay to fly long, nonstop trips to avoid changing planes. Airlines have not decided what amenities they will offer on the long flights. Boeing's Director of Product Marketing Randy Tinseth said Internet connections and cell phone availability may become standard on long flights. Nov 14, 2005

Boeing 777-200LR lands in London. The Boeing jet attempting to break the world record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet landed Thursday in London. The 777-200LR flew 12,586 miles from Hong Kong. Representatives from Guinness World Records monitored the flight and attended the landing. Nov 10, 2005

Boeing seeks new nonstop record in 777-200LR. Boeing hopes to set a new record for the longest nonstop flight with its 777-200LR. The plane departed Hong Kong today, embarking on a 23-hour flight to London. The current nonstop record is 12,455 miles. Nov 9, 2005

Planning for record-breaking flight took months: Boeing began planning its attempt to set a new nonstop distance record several months ago. The company had to decide on a route that would attract media attention and also have a strong tail wind. Boeing also had to request a landing slot at Heathrow. Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann is the project leader for the flight. She is the chief pilot for the 777-200LR program. Nov 9, 2005

Father of Boeing's 747 writes autobiography. The engineer who led the design and production of Boeing's 747 jumbo jet has written a autobiography. Joe Sutter's book is due to be published next spring by Smithsonian Books, a division of HarperCollins in New York. Boeing and Sutter recently resolved a dispute over the copyrights. Nov 2, 2005

Air Canada places order for up to 96 Boeing planes. Boeing said Air Canada's parent will purchase up to 96 jetliners. The agreement includes firm orders for 18 777s and 14 787s. The company canceled a similar order in June amid a dispute with its pilots. The two sides have since reached an agreement. Nov 10, 2005

All Nippon set as launch customer for Boeing 767-300 freighter. Boeing said All Nippon Airways is the launch customer for its 767-300 freighter conversion program. The airline will buy three converted jets and has options to buy more. Terms were not disclosed. Nov 1, 2005

International Lease orders 20 Boeing 787s. International Lease Finance has ordered 20 Boeing 787s and taken options on four additional planes. The agreement is worth about $2.7 billion. Boeing will start delivering the planes in 2010. Nov 22, 2005

Popularity of small regional jets wanes, Bombardier halts production. Regional jets with 50 seats have fallen out of favor with airlines, causing demand for the planes to drop. Many passengers disliked the planes' small cabins. Manufacturer Bombardier last week said it would halt production. Airlines used the planes on routes where the number of travelers could not support large jets. Nov 4, 2005

Google founders choose roomy Boeing 767. Google's billionaire founders have made an unusual choice for the jet they intend to share for personal use. Sergey Brin and Larry Page have purchased a used 767 wide-body jetliner, an aircraft more than three times as heavy as a conventional executive jet. The 767 will include a sitting area, two staterooms and up to 16 first-class seats, people familiar with plans for the plane say. Nov 4, 2005

Northrop, BAE test airliner missile defense systems. BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman last week tested systems that could defend airliners from shoulder-fired missiles. The systems use lasers to jam incoming missiles. Airlines are concerned about cost and maintenance of the systems, said John Meanen, executive vice president of the Air Transport Association. Nov 14, 2005

Customer service becomes a top priority for Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce hopes to win a large number of engine orders for new Boeing and Airbus planes. Airlines are demanding sophisticated networks for engine service in addition to high quality engine designs. Rolls-Royce uses live satellite feeds to monitor 3,000 engines owned by airlines. Nov 8, 2005

Singapore expected to place large jetliner order soon. Singapore Airlines may place a large order for commercial jets as early as January. The carrier is evaluating Boeing and Airbus jetliners for price, fuel efficiency and operating costs. The airline has not decided how many planes it will buy or the mix of models. Nov 10, 2005

United Airlines phases in new regional jets. United Airlines' United Express unit will feature 70-seat regional jets with three seating sections, the Washington Post's Keith L. Alexander writes. The planes will also allow United to fly less popular routes without using larger jets. Some customers said they felt cramped in United's 50-seat jets. Nov 1, 2005